Couple becoming parents to orphans in Uganda

Sunday

Jul 7, 2013 at 1:30 PM

Josh and Terra Cahill are not your typical parents. While they haven't been christened into parenthood in the traditional sense, they are very much Mom and Dad to three little children on another continent.

Jim Brock

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around – and why his parents will always wave back."– William D. Tammeus

Josh and Terra Cahill are not your typical parents.

While they haven't been christened into parenthood in the traditional sense, they are very much Mom and Dad to three little children on another continent.

The couple, currently taking steps toward adopting two girls and one boy from Uganda, are literally on pins and needles, waiting to bring their precious bundles of joy back to St. James.

"It will be after Aug. 15," said Josh, who sat next to Terra, hands in his lap, while his wife smiled, interrupting him intermittently with excitement.

"It will be about six or seven months," she said. "We've had to remodel our house, so that we have three bedrooms."

Josh added, "We've had to childproof stuff too, and there's nothing worse than trying to get a spoon for your cereal and being denied by a little plastic tab."

The Cahills, who both work for the St. James school system, are awaiting their court date, which requires them to become legal guardians of the children in Uganda.

From there, they will be required to finish the paperwork at the U.S. Embassy, which will be a three-week process.

The three children are orphans currently under the care of their oldest sibling.

"It's really all been just a 'God thing' for everything to fall into place," Terra said.

The idea to adopt the children came from Ashley Redburn, whose affiliation with the ministry Sole Hope led the Cahills to the children.

In the interim, Josh and Terra have been in correspondence with the family and have used Skype to talk to the children.

"It's killing us not to be over there with them, but it's definitely teaching us patience," Terra said. "Our faith is growing."

Josh added, "The first thing they said was, 'We love you, Mommy and Daddy,' and we just kind of melted."

The family is also hosting a tea party to help raise funds for the trip to Uganda.

Anyone who would like to attend the event or simply donate, email terra_nelson@hotmail.com, or they can show up the day of at the event and get tickets.